City Section orders more night games for girls’ basketball teams

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The City Section Athletics Office has sent out a memo requiring schools to be more equitable in scheduling night basketball games for boys’ and girls’ teams next season after parental complaints that girls’ teams were not being given the same opportunity to have night games as boys’ teams.

“We want it to be fair that students from both sexes have equal access to night games,” said Sue Spears, director of the Educational Equity Compliance Office and district Title IX coordinator for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Even though some girls’ coaches have been satisfied playing afternoon games, the City Section sent out an e-mail earlier this summer advising schools that “every effort must be made” to provide night games for girls’ teams, according to City Section assistant commissioner Trent Cornelius. That edict came down after Spears’ office had received complaints.

The goal is for every night game a boys’ team schedules, the girls’ team must also have a night game, though transportation and facility issues could force revisions. Games are played usually on the same night at opposite gyms.

-- Eric Sondheimer